Looking to feed a family of seven

I use ground turkey now instead of beef for burgers. I usually top with veggies- tomato, onion, mushrooms raw or sauteed, baby spinach. The last meatloaf I made I used some ground turkey with the beef and also added cooked lentils and TVP to stretch it and make it a bit healthier. I love to cut up a bunch of veggies - peppers, eggplant, onion, zucchini etc. and put it in a crock pot with a can of crushed tomatoes. I often add beans or lentils for the protein and serve it over rice.

I usually have a salad with dinner. My mom usually served one every night and then served the meal. I make myself a bigger salad and then a smaller dinner. My challenge is portion control, and this helps me.

I am making a whole chicken tonight and will have to try making soup if I have any meat left over. Also thanks for the falafel like recipe I will have to give it a try. So far I have taken family favorites like meatloaf and pasta and switched the meat to turkey and that has helped bring down the calorie count while still keeping our household eating the foods they love.

I make one dish that is quick and easy and inexpensive if you use a whole chicken.

I cook a whole chicken, cool it, then pull the meat off the bone. OR I find other cuts of chicken on sale, with like 4 days left before expiration and make the meal within one or two nights.

I place the meat in a baking dish, pour spagetti sauce over it and bake until heated. If I use raw chicken, then the cooking time is probably more like one hour, depending on the size of the pieces. Then I steam veges to serve on the side. I used to use a metal steamer in a pan, but bought an electric steamer, gently used, and now I just cut up the veges, place in the basket, with the water placed in the contained below it, plug it in, turn the timer and it turns off by itself when the time is up. Nice to not have to watch it, cuz its safe. No watching and no burning.

I usually serve it with bread, lightly toasted and buttered, with garlic powder and parmesan cheese (the kind you use for pizza) lightly dusted on the top of each piece of toast. I don't eat the toast myself cuz its a lot of extra calories and carbos. But if I really need some bread for me, I will keep 12 grain bread in the freezer for myself, which I can get one piece out at a time, eating it dry or with a very light amt of butter. The kids like less healthy bread, so this is always handy for me.

I am a foster mom and though my family is small, my job keeps me way too busy, so I'm all about quick and healthy meals! Wishing you well, Jill

DARIALEIGH
Posts:
70
12/5/12 7:21 P

Thanks so much for all the ideas. I love cooking so some of the new recipes will be fun to try.

I grew up in a large family and had a lot of aunts and uncles too. I might be able to help a little. we had alot of pinto beans and corn bread .//But red beans are more nutritious and you can make them in the crockpot also with home fries and spinach and corn bread if potatoes are a problem maybe mac n cheese. just good southern cookin y'all . if y'all like creole food iI have a great recipe for chicken and sausage creole served with rice and garlic toast (breaded Eggplant is optional for no meat night) I make it for meals on the weekends some times. Are you a vegetarian ? Or have health issues? I am a diabetic and have to eat healthy too.

I echo the suggestions of bean soups/stews. I'm not feeding 7 people, just 4, but we like all kinds of bean soup, beans and brown rice, and chili -- great in the slowcooker. Serve with a big salad or slaw dressed with vinaigrette. You can put a whole chicken in the slowcooker, feed the family, eat leftover chicken for lunch the next day (chicken tacos, yum), then use the bones for stock and add some noodles and veggies for chicken noodle soup. The slowcooker is also great for cooking tough, cheap cuts of meat -- then shred it and mix it with something else to stretch it.

We had 5 kids in the family growing up so my mom had to cook good meals on a budget for us. She did a lot of cassaroles, stews, spaghetti and sauce, strogonoff, etc. We usually had a salad or at least a green vegetable with dinner - frozen most of the time which helped cut cost. They were all well-balanced dinners that were healthy. You can take so many of the recipes on here and modify them to fit your budget - sub out expensive cuts of meat for what you can afford. Make the basics and bulk them up with veggies.

Soups and stews,,,,,,especially now in the fall/winter.....I buy a cut up chicken and boil it...pull chicken off the bone and add veggies and it's chicken soup. Or a box of bisquick and you can make dumpling to make chicken and dumplings. Veggie soup and chili are usually good to because you can add a bunch of different veggies and beans to help pump up fiber and protein.

DARIALEIGH
Posts:
70
11/6/12 8:15 P

I have seven people I cook for. Often I find myself making them dinner and me having a bowl of cereal. I am looking for advice and heathy options that will allow me to cook big meals that are healthy for me and them and won't break my pockets. I love using my slow cooker and I love making casseroles. I love the Spark recipes but find they are a little too expensive for my family. All advice is appreciated.

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